It whisks a reader to the humble beginnings of an iconic store that opened in 1946 and is still going strong today.
Noel K. Gallagher
Noel Gallagher covers K-12 and higher education issues statewide. Her stories are a mix of breaking news and trend stories. In recent years, they’ve ranged from why college costs so much, the launch of the state’s first charter schools, how a school welcomed a transgender student and why Maine schools have a hard time finding teachers. She’s enough of a news nerd to enjoy sitting through legislative education committee meetings and hours-long school board meetings so you don’t have to.
The Maine Press Association has honored Noel’s work, but she says she writes for the readers, in the firm belief that an informed citizenry is key to a healthy democracy.
Noel is a California native who has worked at wire services, online websites and newspapers across the country. She was in Washington D.C. during the early Clinton years, covering AIDS activism in 1990s San Francisco, documenting the business of wine in Sonoma County and riding out the boom and bust cycle of the early Internet era in early 2000s Silicon Valley. She arrived in Maine at the beginning of the recession and wrote quite a bit about the downturn here.
In her free time, Noel writes the occasional cookbook review, spends an inordinate amount of time at the Portland Public Library and hangs out with her three fabulous kids and wonderful husband. She is not a former member of the band Oasis.
Portland schools propose $103.7 million budget, up $1 million from last year
The budget would increase the school portion of tax bills by 4.5 percent, or $138 for a home valued at $300,000.
Derek Langhauser wins permanent appointment to lead Maine’s community colleges
A veteran of the system, he is approved unanimously by the board of trustees.
LePage offers $7.2 million more for the University of Maine System
The governor says he’ll ask for the additional funding if the board of trustees continues its tuition freeze.
Weather service closes the books on Portland’s second-warmest winter ever
With an average temperature of 31.2 degrees – and 21 days of 50 degrees or more – the city just misses the record.
More than 100 attend vigil in Portland for missing Maine Maritime student
David Breunig’s family and friends gather on the Western Promenade a week after the Westbrook High School graduate disappeared in Orono on his way to meet friends at a nearby bar.
USM, Iceland join in study abroad opportunity for students
Students at USM will be able to travel to Iceland for two weeks, through a program funded by an alumna’s gift and a grant from the Maine Economic Improvement Fund.
Panel rejects plan to have state education officials write drug prevention policy for schools
Instead, the legislative committee backs a resolution asking the Maine Department of Education to flesh out its existing guidelines on substance abuse education.
Charter commission approves new Lewiston-Auburn school
Acadia Academy, which will open in the fall, is the ninth of 10 charter schools permitted under state law.
Bill would standardize Maine’s drug-abuse education policy
Currently, individual middle and high schools set their own policies, which officials say leaves gaps.